


Enough Is Enough

by butzichen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Snowbarrisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 09:56:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16741822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butzichen/pseuds/butzichen
Summary: Little one shot between 5x05 and 5x06 where Cisco finally tells Barry what's been going on with Caitlin





	Enough Is Enough

**Author's Note:**

> In my opinion, Caitlin looked surprised (and relieved) that Barry knew about her dad at the beginning of 5x06, so I think this development must have been Cisco's work.   
> So I tried giving that scene a shot, but writing Cisco is really difficult, so I'm not really sure if I pulled it off, but since my weekend's over and I won't have a lot of time next week, I've decided to post it anyway. Maybe it will inspire a few similar stories ;)

“Sure, come on, I’ll show you.”   
Cisco watched as Barry put a hand on Nora’s shoulder guiding her out of the cortex. Looking over he wasn’t surprised to find Caitlin watching them as well, her eyes filled with sadness and a sense of longing. Cisco knew that whenever Caitlin saw Barry with his daughter her thoughts drifted off to her own father.   
It had only been four days since they got the satellites back up again and even though Caitlin asked him not to look for her father just yet, he found it increasingly more difficult to follow her wishes. Cisco sighed, he hated seeing her so sad. So he inquired softly. “Caitlin, are you sure you don’t want me to find your dad?”   
But the moment he mentioned Thomas, her head snapped in his direction, fear written all across her face. “I told you I’m not ready,” she replied coldly before getting up and heading toward her lab. 

At first, he had understood that she didn’t want to go look for her father right away, it was a big step. Caitlin was afraid of who or what she might find, aware that her father must have had a good reason for leaving. But she had been reluctant through this whole journey and though Cisco could understand her reservations, he thought that the hope of finding her father would slowly outweigh her fears. But so far, she was still unwilling to take the last step.

Frustrated Cisco got up to go work in his own lab, still mulling over his options. If he looked for her father without her permission, she might get mad, but if he didn’t do something, if he couldn’t convince her to go look for Thomas, how long would this be weighing on his friend, how long was she going to live with uncertainties, drowning in sadness and pain, afraid to move forward. Not knowing was definitely worse than finding out the truth. He had to do something, for her own good.   
Turning around abruptly, Cisco walked back to the cortex, ready to fire up the satellites and locate Thomas Snow. But the closer he got to the cortex, the more his resolve was faltering. Memories of Caitlin’s face when he offered to pinpoint her father’s locations swam before his eyes. Damn it, he couldn’t force her to be ready. Dejected he turned back around toward his lab. 

If only he knew what was really keeping her from being ready. Every other time he had managed to help her through her fears, but this time, it’s like they hit a roadblock. He needed help. Though he had briefly considered going to Ralph or even Sherloque, deep down he knew exactly that the only person who could get through to Caitlin, other than himself, was Barry. But as far as he knew, Barry was unaware of the whole situation. And though Cisco thought this incredibly ridiculous and has had half a mind to tell Barry himself every day for weeks now, he always felt that it wasn’t his place. If Caitlin didn’t tell Barry what was going on with her, she must have her reasons.   
Though how Barry had managed not to catch on was beyond him as well.   
Disheartened, Cisco resumed working on his tech. He was basically left with the choice to betray Caitlin’s trust or let his friend suffer. Great.

 

Later that day, Cisco returned to the cortex, wanting some company to take his mind off of things. But seeing the cortex empty, he continued to the medical bay, only to find Caitlin staring at her father’s message. He cleared his throat, making her aware of his presence, before walking in. She quickly put the message away and wiped some stray tears, before turning towards him. “Oh it’s just you,” she smiled at his sight. What would she have done if Barry had walked in on her like that, Cisco briefly wondered, before asking gently. “You okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine” she nodded. “Caitlin,” he insisted. She sighed. “I just think about my dad a lot. And I know his message says to come find him, but I just… I can’t.” A part of him wanted to press her on it, but the other part knew that it was no use, he had been down that road before. Maybe she actually didn’t know what was holding her back.   
But enough was enough. Cisco wasn’t going to let her sit around and cry anymore. If he couldn’t convince her, then he was going to get Barry to help him. Hopefully, it was the right decision and Caitlin would forgive him for it. 

 

Barry was surprised when a message from Cisco appeared on his phone. ‘We need to talk.’ He had just been in Starlabs a few hours ago, what could have happened since then to make Cisco write to arrange a talk. Barry was about to head back to Starlabs when his phone rang once more. ‘Alone’. Now definitely intrigued, Barry decided to write back first. ‘When and where?’ The reply came almost immediately. ‘My apartment. In an hour?’ He texted back ‘I’ll be there.’ Before adding ‘Is everything okay?’ But he didn’t get another response from Cisco anymore.

Now he was definitely starting to worry. While he was trying to get some more work done, his mind was racing through all the possible scenarios of why Cisco wanted to talk… alone. Everything had seemed completely normal a few hours ago and it couldn’t be about a new meta threat or Cicada, or they wouldn’t have to talk alone.   
So, it must be about someone on the team. His mind considered all the options, Ralph? Sherloque? He was still an unknown to them, maybe Cisco had found something out about him? But why talk to him about it alone?   
No, maybe it was about Iris? Or Nora? Sure, they might warrant a talk with him alone, but that could have been done at Starlabs…  
Caitlin? Barry’s hands froze midair. That was definitely a real possibility. They couldn’t talk in Starlabs because she was usually around. And if it was about Caitlin, Cisco would want to talk to him alone. Maybe Killer Frost was back? No, that would be more urgent. Unable to focus anymore, Barry packed up his things and left his lab to head over to Cisco’s apartment.

 

Cisco turned into the hallway of his apartment building, mulling over how to tell Barry what’s been going on. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he found Barry sitting on his doorstep. “Hello” he greeted him surprised. “Hi” Barry replied, getting up from the floor. “You’re early,” Cisco stated, before unlocking the door and letting them in. “I got worried,” Barry admitted sheepishly. Cisco looked at him and noticed the real concern on his friend’s face. “Sorry, man, that wasn’t my intention. I just didn’t want to get interrupted, so this seemed like the safest bet,” he explained. 

Nodding, Barry sat down on the couch. “So, is Caitlin okay?” he ventured carefully. Surprised Cisco turned to him. “How did you know this is about Caitlin?” Barry shrugged. “Just a hunch, I guess.” Still eyeing him suspiciously, Cisco sat down as well and took a deep breath. “To answer your question, no she actually isn’t okay, hasn’t been for a while now and I don’t know how to help her anymore.”   
“What is it?” Barry demanded, voice thick with worry, “is it Killer Frost?” Cisco shook his head. “No, well I guess a little bit, but no. It’s about her dad.” “Her dad?” Barry asked taken aback. Cisco sighed, seeing the confused look on Barry’s face didn’t make this easier, a part of him had held out hope that maybe Barry knew at least some stuff that’s been going on, but clearly, his friend was oblivious.

“You really have no idea,” Cisco wondered sadly, “no idea at all what’s been going on with her?”   
Barry looked at him, hurt. “No, I don’t Cisco, I didn’t know there was anything to know about. If you guys don’t tell me, how am I even supposed to know?” His words were coming out a little harsher than planned, covering for the guilt that had started spreading inside him. How had he not known there was something going on with Caitlin, why hadn’t she told him?   
“That didn’t use to be a problem,” Cisco replied with some bitterness in his voice, but backtracked right away, “Look, I agree, Caitlin should have told you, but she didn’t and I didn’t feel like it was my place to tell you, I mean she told everybody else, Ralph, even Sherloque…”   
“Tell me what?” Barry demanded, frustrated.   
“That her dad is still alive,” Cisco admitted. Barry just stared at his friend. Caitlin’s father was alive? What? Why? How? But he couldn’t form any words, trying to wrap his head around this information and everything it entailed.

“Cliff notes version,” Cisco elaborated, “Killer Frost has been a part of her since she was little, her dad knew, his death certificate is faked, by her mother, who insists he’s dead, but Caitlin found a message from her father telling her to come find him. And now we have a real lead and with the satellites back up, I could find him in minutes, but she doesn’t want to proceed.” Catching his breath, Cisco leaned back into the couch, while Barry’s face showed a myriad of emotions, as his mind reeled from all these revelations.

“How long?”, Barry finally demanded, “how long has she known?” Cisco looked at him carefully, before sighing. “That her father's alive? A few weeks.” “A few w…” Barry mouthed. Cisco actually felt bad, seeing his friend so clearly distraught. Barry’s hand was clutching his face, disbelief in his eyes. Why didn’t she tell him? Why didn’t she tell him? … why did she tell everybody else but him? 

“That’s why she went to visit her mother?” Barry realized. “Yeah, I mean last time she went it was to figure out her powers,” Cisco chuckled drily, “I thought for sure you were gonna wonder about that trip, I thought you’d recognize the signs by now… I guess I was wrong.” Barry looked up at his friend, surprised by the thinly veiled blame. “I mean the whole Nora thing kept me pretty busy, then Cicada…” “DeVoe, Savitar, Zoom, Reverse Flash,” Cisco interrupted him irritated, “We’re always dealing with stuff, but you still cared about your friends, at least you used to.” Cisco’s words felt like a punch to his gut. 

“How can you say I don’t care about my friends?” Barry demanded, raising his voice.   
“Because lately, it hasn’t felt that way, Barry!” Cisco shot back, finally letting his irritations out, “Every other day I find Caitlin crying in the lab and you’ve failed to notice that something is even up! You run around with your wife and daughter, expecting us to always be there the moment you need help, but completely oblivious when we needed you! You have yet to ask me how I’m feeling about Cynthia or about Cicada damaging my hands or about anything really. You’ve been living in your perfect little bubble not noticing anybody else anymore.”   
Every word cut Barry like a thousand knives piercing his insides. At first, he had been taken aback by Cisco’s accusations, even angered, but the more Cisco said, the more he couldn’t suppress the dawning realizations that Cisco might have a fair point. He had indeed been neglecting his friends.   
“She has been crying every other day?” Barry whispered when Cisco was done yelling. All the anger deflated out of Cisco, as he couldn’t help but start chuckling. “For real? That’s what you’re stuck on.” 

Barry glanced up at his friend, filled with regrets, his eyes swimming with tears. “I’m so sorry, Cisco, you’re right, I had no idea and I should have known, I should have noticed. But I don’t want you to think that I don’t care about you guys. You know I do, you’re my best friends, my family, I couldn’t live without you.”   
Cisco smiled at the sincerity of his friend’s apology. “I know. And I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said all those things. I know you care,” he conceded, “I have just been so incredibly frustrated lately. We really let Caitlin down when she turned into Killer Frost and I don’t want to let that happen again. And so far, I’ve managed to get through to her. When she didn’t want to find out if her father was alive, I got her to open up, I was there for her. But now, that we’re this close to finding him, she shuts me out and I’ve tried, but maybe she doesn’t know herself why she isn’t ready or she doesn’t want to tell me, but something is holding her back. And I’m convinced that not knowing the truth is killing her and I don’t know how to help her anymore.” 

“Well you won’t be alone with this anymore,” Barry promised, his eyes flashing with resolve. He didn’t know how he could have been so blind, but things were going to change. He was done letting his friends down. “But maybe,” Barry added gently, “you should give me more than the Cliff notes version.” Smiling slightly, Cisco started retelling the story from the beginning. 

After Cisco finished his in-depth recounting of their adventures, Barry cleared his throat. “Okay, first things first, tomorrow, we’ll pinpoint exactly where Caitlin’s father his hiding. So that we’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. And the next time we have a few hours without a meta attack looming over us, I’ll make sure the two of us get some time alone with Caitlin. I’m sure that together we can get through to her. And if not, she can at least blow up at the two of us together,” Barry added with a smirk.   
Cisco nodded smilingly, thankful to have his best friend by his side again.


End file.
